No Building False Hope
Barring an unforeseen move up in the NFL Draft, the Bears have plotted their 2021 course with a 33-year-old starting quarterback who hasn't played at a high level since 2015.
Andy Dalton had problems with Dallas last year behind a struggling offensive line, all the while backed by a poor defense. With Cincinnati over the last half of his career, he struggled as well.
There is always hope for career revival in a different offensive system with a different line protecting him and with a stronger defense backing him.
Don't count on it, says FanNation and Sports Illustrated analyst Jim Mora Jr.
"I think he's a solid backup," Mora said. "I don't think he's a starter that's going to go win and win a world championship for you or even a division title."
In his first comments on the signing, the former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach made it clear the Bears are really taking a risk with a quarterback who didn't excel as Dak Prescott's replacement last season.
"So I think they've got a quarterback issue," Mora said. "They've got to address it."
Dalton's stint in Dallas included a few impressive games. He had passer ratings over 122 against his old Cincinnati team and the Philadelphia Eagles late in the season, but threw interceptions in all but two of his nine starts and had two picks in a loss to Arizona.
The offensive system of Mike McCarthy and the lack of a defense capable of stopping anyone left Dalton throwing 30 or more passes in seven of the nine starts and 35 or more four times. Even with Ezekiel Elliott to rely on, the Cowboys did Dalton no favors.
"When I watched with Dallas, and it was under, you know, extreme circumstance and he'd been kind of thrown to the wolves, they weren't playing very well on defense," Mora said. "A lot of pressure on him filling in for Dak. I just don't see the same guy that I thought that he'd be when he came out."
Mora was no great fan of Trubisky when the Bears were on the verge of leaving that relationship.
"Moving on from Trubisky, I don't know that they've got all their eggs in the basket with Andy Dalton, yet," Mora said. "So I think they've got a quarterback issue. They've got to address it."
Mora didn't want to paint a picture too bleak to stomach for Bears fans.
"You know, sometimes guys find find a seocnd life, you know, at this stage in their career," he said.
It's not much to go on.
